[MattWearmouth]

THANKS

Worked a treat. Thought there was something manual I needed to change. Better get this new DAC run in

Matt

[steeled]

Originally Posted by MattWearmouth

THANKS

Worked a treat. Thought there was something manual I needed to change. Better get this new DAC run in.

Matt

Glad you got it working. One other tip. As you have spent a lot of money on the DAC you want to get the best out of it. OS X can re-sample the audio output (change the sampling rate). Ideally you do not want it to do that.

Look in the Utilities folder and there is an app called "Audio MIDI Setup". Open it and select the USB DAC. Select the Output tab and check that it is outputting a 41000 Hz/2ch 16 bit. This is the setting you should have if listening to ripped CDs.

If you are listening to ripped DVDs it should be set to 48000Hz.

Have a play and see if makes things better.

Cheers

[Wag]

Originally Posted by steeled

Look in the Utilities folder and there is an app called "Audio MIDI Setup". Open it and select the USB DAC. Select the Output tab and check that it is outputting a 41000 Hz/2ch 16 bit. This is the setting you should have if listening to ripped CDs.

David,

That's interesting. I've recently bought a MacBook Pro and have used it a couple of times to play iTunes and Spotify through my AVR600 via optical cable. Presumably these settings would apply to optical out as well.

One thing I notice though is that I don't have 41000Hz on my drop down list. Do you mean 44100Hz by any chance?

[steeled]

Originally Posted by Wag

David,

That's interesting. I've recently bought a MacBook Pro and have used it a couple of times to play iTunes and Spotify through my AVR600 via optical cable. Presumably these settings would apply to optical out as well.

One thing I notice though is that I don't have 41000Hz on my drop down list. Do you mean 44100Hz by any chance?

Hi Wag

You spotted my typo - I did mean 44100Hz

And yes this utility does affect the optical digital out. The default does appear to be 4100Hz, so for CD and MP3 there will not be an issue. If you have things with higher sample rates (eg DVD sound tracks) then the OS will down sample to 4100Hz.

It would be nice if there was an option for it to default to the native sample rate/size as the original track but there isn't for some reason.

Dave

[MattWearmouth]

My mac has the option to use 96000Hz, presume its better at 44100Hz as this is the same as the recording?

Been so busy that I havent had much chance to use my new DAC!!

Thanks

Matt

[xxFLUIDxx]

My understandings that will os x snow leopard you should set the midi settings to 24bit and 9600hz because the latest version of iTunes along with The latest os x it can adjust to your files size

Link to wiki page ITunes-QuickTime for Mac - Setup Guide - Benchmark

Hope this helps

[sounddog]

Originally Posted by D-FENS

My understandings that will os x snow leopard you should set the midi settings to 24bit and 9600hz because the latest version of iTunes along with The latest os x it can adjust to your files size

Link to wiki page ITunes-QuickTime for Mac - Setup Guide - Benchmark

Hope this helps

There are two schools of though on this...

The first school of thought is that it's best to output files at their native sample rate. For files ripped from CD that is to output at 44.1kHz (44100Hz) at 16 bit - though conversion to 24 bit is not an issue. The problem with this method is that with iTunes the rate is not automatically changed when playing different sample rate files - to play back a 24/96 download you have to quit iTunes, go into the Audio MIDI control panel, make the changes then reload iTunes to play the next piece of music. Some third party software get round this limitation.

The second method is to allow Mac OS X to upsample all your files to a fixed sample rate leaving the Audio MIDI control panel at 24bit and 88.2kHz (or 24/96). This has the advantage of being user friendly, but will reduce the quality a little as the computer has to re-sample the music as it plays it.

Try both and decide which method suits you better (to use both in different circumstances).

Eloise

[MattWearmouth]

I will give both a listen and see what my ears think.

I have also noticed when playing the same tracks that I have ripped off cd, recorded to different files, e.g. Flac and mp3, that when my amp is at a fixed volume level, that the outputted music not only varied in quality but there was quite a noticeable difference in volume. Is this just because of the quality differences in recordings?

Matt

[adinica]

I`m sorry, I can`t find any information regarding the analogue stage of the rDac. Which is the output op-amp(s) of it?
Thank you in advance!

[gmhifi]

...So finally i decided to buy one of these two DACs, it seems that at their price they are very good products...

I am a little bit more interested to Dacmagic because of inputs (2 coaxial, but now i only need one), but if rDAC were really superior i could buy it...

I haven't found any comparison.

Suggestion?

I have read that one sold DacMagic to go for rDAC, do you hear any difference?

I will use it with a MacMini (USB), an Arcam Alpha 5 Plus (coax) and a Dreambox DM800 (optical).

So what do you think about?



Thanks in advance for any suggestion,


GM

[Hicham]

Check out this interesting comparison.

Note the comparison was made through the coax and toslink and not in USB.
Note also the term Energy that is in use.

Arcam rDac vs MF M1 DAC Help.... - Page 2

Your opinions please.

[adinica]

Hello everybody!
I am planning to upgrade my existing system, by adding the rDac to the CD36/A32 combo. Also I want to invest in a good coaxial cable from the likes of Atlas or Chord Co. (Atlas Opus, Chord Signature digital).
My question is: it`s worth to try the rDac or should I look elsewhere? Could the rDac be better than CD36? Thank you!

[arockhound]

Check out Mark Grant cables - excellent performance and vfm

[PenguinHiFi]

Hi everyone,

The rDac seems interesting to me, as I said in a previous post.
As the USB input is asynchronous and made under dCS licensing, I would like to be able to use this input. But right now I have 2 multimedia tanks : the Apple TV and the Netgear EVA9150 Elite.
Both seem to be incapable of outputting sound over their USB ports.

DO you know of a multimedia tank that would use, amongst other, the USB ports to output sound ? It shouldn't be so difficult : in a Mac, as soon as you plug-in a USB device that is related to sound, MacOs asks you if you would like to output your sound over the USB port...

I do not want a solution like the MacMini : too expensive and not really designed for my purposes. WHy : because I need something that you can just plug into your TV and is usable. Front row doesn't fit :-(

Regards.

PenguinHiFi

[Orange&Blue]

Originally Posted by PenguinHiFi

DO you know of a multimedia tank that would use, amongst other, the USB ports to output sound ? It shouldn't be so difficult : in a Mac, as soon as you plug-in a USB device that is related to sound, MacOs asks you if you would like to output your sound over the USB port...

I do not want a solution like the MacMini : too expensive and not really designed for my purposes. WHy : because I need something that you can just plug into your TV and is usable. Front row doesn't fit :-(

Regards.

PenguinHiFi

Another interested party here.

Having been very impressed with the rDac improvements to my CD73 my order has been placed. I would now like to make use of its computer connection features.

I currently run iTunes on Widows from a laptop, purely for iPod sync at the moment but would like to use its playlist features and internet radio features occasionally via my main system kit. It would be nice to be able to view iTunes from my plasma (not full HD), access the odd internet site and internet radio and maybe view my picture library. The Vaio laptop would not be good base for this as it is getting a bit long in the tooth but I will be keeping this as my main work platform for MS Office and could use it to back up iTunes via a sync to the new item in the living room. I don’t have a iPhone of iPod touch to use as an interface.

I know I can pick up a previous generation aTV for about £150 but would the digital output for audio be a compromise? I can see the attraction and benefits of the Mac Mini but I would rather not stump out £700 but can see that this would be a bit more future proof and upgradable if I fill the hard drive. Is there a non Apple alternative?

[supernait]

Hi everyone,

With rDac upgrade in $300
1. USB Cable
or
2. Hiface + Coaxial Cable

1 or 2 ?

[haggisman]

Can't answer you but a review here.
M2Tech hiFace Asynchronous USB To S/PDIF Converter Review | Computer Audiophile

[steeled]

Originally Posted by Orange&Blue

I know I can pick up a previous generation aTV for about £150 but would the digital output for audio be a compromise? I can see the attraction and benefits of the Mac Mini but I would rather not stump out £700 but can see that this would be a bit more future proof and upgradable if I fill the hard drive. Is there a non Apple alternative?

On the original AppleTV there is an Optical digital output which you can send to an external DAC (in my case I use a CA DACMagic). For music everything works fine. The ATV downsamples everything to 44.1kHz however. So if all you are playing is CD rips there is no problem.

The USB port on the Apple TV can not be used as an audio output into the DAC.

HTH

Dave

[xxFLUIDxx]

Originally Posted by supernait

Hi everyone,

With rDac upgrade in $300
1. USB Cable
or
2. Hiface + Coaxial Cable

1 or 2 ?

In my set up he USB output is brilliant and would be the way I would go unless you have higher than 96khz files then yup will need the coax output

USB is the best for computers I think as the digital outputs tend to be poor or limited

[Sab]

It seems from reading the manual for the rDac that you have to manually press a button on the device to change source inputs each time. Is this true?

I would find this frustrating.

Also is there any point in using the rDac when I have a cd player such as the £1300 Arcam FMJ CD23T?

It seems that the rDac is best with music involved with computers?

[xxFLUIDxx]

Hi sab

Yes you do need to push the button on the top of the rDac when you want to switch between inputs
Personally I don't find this a problem as I tend to stick with one input during my listening sessions

As for your cd player only your ears will be able to tell you if there is an improvement in sound via the rDac

It's has a newer dac and one of the best available today but the CD 23 is a good player so as I said in my previous post I saw an improvement in my CD17 but to me that was a bonus as I wanted the rDac for my computer source mainly

Hope this helps

[Arcam fan]

Bought two of these little beauties, one for the satellite receiver system (to improve the output sound) and one for my Pioneer LX50 DVD player - which has transformed the sound considerably. Very pleased with the units.

[PEH61]

Does anyone have any idea or maybe tried on this dac is better than the built-in AVR-600

[bilbo--baggins]

Can anyone comment on whether it would work to connect sky hd and apple tv to a sony tv both via HDMI (so changing input on the tv also changes audio source), then have optical out on the tv going to rDAC connected to denon pma250se stereo amp. Presumable the data from the tv should be identical to that from the apple tv optical output?

[Jaunty]

I don't think there has been any suggestion this will be released in black, but I asked Arcam anyway. They took the time to reply by email on 4/10/10 and advised:

"Sadly not the Dac will only be produced in Silver, this was the most popular colour when asked to most dealers and customers. As it also sits in the Solo range these too are only Silver. Due to its size though it does not need to be seen if the colour is an issue as all the money goes into the quality not the cosmetics."

I can't think the cost of 2 casings vs 1 can be prohibitive, but there you go.

[Custom-Cable]

Thanks for that info Jaunty, if people didn't already know I thought i'd post the recent info on the extras for the rDAC.

The rDACkw will be released soon @ £375
The rDAC to rDACkw upgrade will be £75
The rWave will be £79.99 This is a USB dongle with Kleer Tech
The rWand will be £69.99 This is an iPod / iPhone dongle with Kleer Tech.

Regards

Phil

[Jaunty]

They should bite the bullet and license Apple's Airplay

[sounddog]

Airplay could easily be implemented on AVR600 as that has networking from the company Apple licensed AirPlay from (same at the Denon's)...

The rDAC would need Ethernet hardware added to support AirPlay

[Jaunty]

Originally Posted by sounddog

Airplay could easily be implemented on AVR600 as that has networking from the company Apple licensed AirPlay from (same at the Denon's)...

The rDAC would need Ethernet hardware added to support AirPlay

Why would it need ethernet to to support (an admittedly propriety) wireless standard?

[sounddog]

Originally Posted by Jaunty

Why would it need ethernet to to support (an admittedly propriety) wireless standard?

Because Airplay is a system working over Ethernet (which can be wired or wireless).

The wireless technology Arcam are using is not related to WiFi as used by networking (including Airplay). It's like wanting your DECT phone (home based wireless) to connect you your router to make VoIP calls.

Eloise